Laws, rumors have ammo flying off store shelves

Stockpiling has also been fueled by false online rumors, such as one that purports a coming nickel tax on each bullet, which would triple the cost of a .22-caliber cartridge, said Hans Farnung, president of Beikirch’s Ammunition, a retailer and wholesaler in Rochester, N.Y., that sells in seven states.

“I don’t want to call them doomsdayers, but people get on these blogs on the Internet and they drive people’s fears,” he said. “They do not want to wait around and see.”

The tax rumor was fueled by proposals in Connecticut, California and Illinois that haven’t advanced.

This isn’t the first U.S. run on ammunition. Walmart’s Kory Lundberg said the retail chain previously rationed in 2009, the year Obama entered the White House. However, sportsmen and tradesmen say the current shortages are nationwide, and the worst they’ve seen.

New York’s law will require ammunition sellers to register and buyers to undergo a background check starting Jan. 15, 2014. Richard Aborn, president of the Citizens Crime Commission of New York City, said the run on guns and ammunition isn’t surprising and is fueled by “gross exaggerations,” when reasonable discussion is what’s needed.

Bruce Martindale, a champion marksman from upstate New York who normally uses .22-caliber rimfire ammunition, said it’s now hard for him to get anything, partly because online retailers are reluctant to ship to New York and risk running afoul of its new law.

“I can’t buy supplies anywhere,” he said. Like many competitors, he has cut back on practice but says he doesn’t see a public safety concern.